The Ventures Tag Page

Online advertising - a bubble

I just recorded a podcast with Duncan Riley and Bronwen Clune - two New Media innovators I greatly admire, to discuss what the future of media was. Unfortunately, the podcast recording came out battered and my normal analytical mind wasn’t in gear to add fruitfully to the discussion. So Dunc and Bron, here I go: why I think advertising on the Internet has a future that will repeat the property bubble that fueled the worlds economic expansion these last few decades. (Y’know -the one that just b

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Chinese Automakers may buy GM and Chrysler

Chinese Automakers may buy GM and Chrysler 20 11 2008 Chinese Automakers may buy GM and Chrysler by Bertel Schmitt . This newspaper cites a senior official of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology– the state regulator of China’s auto industry– who dropped the hint that “the auto manufacturing giants in China, such as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and Dongfeng Motor Corporation, have the capability and intention to buy some assets of the two crisis-plag

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Christina Aguilera Added to the Lineup for “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live

New One-Hour Special — Co-Hosted by LL Cool J and Taylor Swift, and Featuring Performances by Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, B.B. King, John Mayer and Swift — Will Air Dec. 3 Live on CBS from NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE For the First Time Ever Nominations for the Annual Grammy Awards Will Be Announced Live on Primetime Television, and the Event Also Will Celebrate the Grand Opening of the Grammy MuseumSMFour-time Grammy(R) winner Christina Aguilera is the latest performer added

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A freshly stirred Cauldron with new features

The keen-eyed among you who regularly visit my blog (and whose visits I am always grateful for) will have noticed big changes this week. No more minimalism, in three words. I got bored of all the white space. Forgive me if you liked it but change of all kinds is said by some to be the very reason for, and motivating engine, of existence. Go with the flow, I say. I truly hope everyone visiting The Spicy Cauldron likes the changes. Here’s a list of them: A snazzy new search box at the top of th

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Book giveaway

I love books.  I think they make perfect gifts, both to give and to get. Recently I’ve gotten sample copies of a few books that I’d like to mention to you.   I’ll be giving away two of the books on Monday.   To enter in the drawing, all you need to do is mention the giveaway on your blog, and then leave a note in comments, below.  The winner will get to pick TWO of the following books. Book 1–Dream Songs and Night Songs: From Belgium to Brazil (book and CD) Book 2 –Down at the Sea Hotel (book

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Christina Aguilera Added to the Lineup for “The GRAMMY(R) Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night(R)”

New One-Hour Special — Co-Hosted by LL Cool J and Taylor Swift, and Featuring Performances by Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, B.B. King, John Mayer and Swift — Will Air Dec. 3 Live on CBS from NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE For the First Time Ever Nominations for the Annual GRAMMY Awards Will Be Announced Live on Primetime Television, and the Event Also Will Celebrate the Grand Opening of the GRAMMY MuseumSM Four-time GRAMMY(R) winner Christina Aguilera is the latest performer ad

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Microsoft Launches BizSparks Program to Help Startups

Went down to the launch of the BizSparks program at Geek Terminal today. What’s it? “As part of the BizSpark program, Microsoft will significantly subsidise costs of development software for technology startups over a three year period. The program enables fast and easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools and production licenses of server products with no upfront costs, as well as technical support and market visibility. Through BizSpark, Microsoft will also rally the

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Digitalsmiths secures $12M in Series B Funding

Digitalsmiths secures $12M in Series B Funding Phil Yanov Technology Digitalsmiths has closed a $12 million Series B round of equity financing from a combination of new and returning investors. Boston-based venture capital firm .406 Ventures joined returning investors The Aurora Funds and Chrysalis Ventures in the investment that was announced today by Ben Weinberger, CEO, Digitalsmiths. “After looking at numerous potential digital video investments, the magnitude of opportunity at Digital

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Jien signed cooperation agreement with Goldbrook Ventures Inc

On November 14th, Promotion Conference of Sino-Canada Mineral Resources Exploitation & Canadian Mining Projects was held in Hotel Nikko New Century Beijing, and Jilin Jien Nickel Industry Co., Ltd. officially signed joint venture and cooperation agreement with Goldbrook Ventures Inc. presided over by NDRC.

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Hot Pairs and#8211; Hrithik and Ash to sizzle again: BollySite

Hot Pairs and#8211; Hrithik and Ash to sizzle again: Quite, it shoots up your adrenalines right? Of course, none can deny it and especially the ones who were fascinated with their previous ventures. Yup! Their on-screen chemistry in couple of films of contrast themes won them accolades Hot Pairs of Bol

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Trippen “Shoes Garage” Sale

60% off our favorite shoes from Trippen! This has pretty much nothing to do with bicycles but our friends Ben and Geraldine have decided to close their Amsterdam shoe shop “Shoes Garage” to move onto other ventures. Thus they’re blowing out the complete Trippen shoes collection. You’re probably not familiar with Trippen. They’re a tiny firm in Berlin that designs funky, stylish, super-comfortable (and normally quite expensive) shoes. The shoes are hand-made in Italy from very obviously high

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Codemasters announce new Colin McRae title

The UK’s leading publisher Codemasters has been on a real roll lately, revenues are up, growth is good and they are picking up studios as they go. So the news today is that they are releasing a new DiRT title and have opted to retain the Colin McRae name in the title. many had speculated that after McRae’s death the company would drop the title or at least the name in favour of another. Not so it would seem as producer at Codies Gavin Raeburn explains : “The decision was made jointly between C

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Koscheck, Velasquez Too?

It does not look like this one will end well. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports has a long article with lots of comments from Dana White and Jon Fitch. White does not pull any punches. Apparently this has been brewing for a long time between the UFC and the AKA fighters (Fitch, Koscheck, Cain Velasquez plus assorted others who are represented by DeWayne Zinkin and Bob Cook). White did not get into specifics. All he said was he is tired of dealing with fighters who do not want to partner with the UFC.

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Passive Income For October 2008: A New Record!

I’ve been busy with Business School and it’s been an insanely hectic month. Forget about writing posts, I haven’t even had much time to sleep! I just ran the totals for passive income for October and I found out I’ve broken my previous record for monthly passive income that I set in June. Monthly Passive (alternative, online & dividend) Income was $3,454.99. The total online income was $2160.67 which is lower than my record by ~$95. However, my investment in a Japanese REIT paid a quarte

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The Books of the States: Wisconsin (10 electoral votes; Guest: Daphne Beal)

Daphne Beal may live in New York City, and she may have written her first novel, In the Land of No Right Angles, about American ex-pats in Nepal and India, but her essay on her home state of Wisconsin for State by State is one of the most lived-in pieces in the book, full of everyday details that carry the tug of things left behind (and remembered more exactly because of it). Here’s a sample: After the smokestacks and the cabbage fields came my grandparents’ house of hushedness–sta

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BASF cut to sell by Citi

BASF cut to sell by Citi November 20th, 2008 LONDON (MarketWatch) — BASF was cut to sell from hold by Citi after the chemical group’s warning on Wednesday. The broker said wtihout dividend security there’s no reason to own BASF shares, and pointed out that the oil and gas division has geopolitical risk since the majority of production growth comes through its ventures with Gazprom. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.

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The Books of the States: Wisconsin (10 electoral votes; Guest: Daphne Beal)

Daphne Beal may live in New York City, and she may have written her first novel, In the Land of No Right Angles, about American ex-pats in Nepal and India, but her essay on her home state of Wisconsin for State by State is one of the most lived-in pieces in the book, full of everyday details that carry the tug of things left behind (and remembered more exactly because of it). Here's a sample: After the smokestacks and the cabbage fields came my grandparents' house of hushedness--stately Midwes

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Ahold 3rd-quarter net off 8.9%, sales up 3.9%

Ahold 3rd-quarter net off 8.9%, sales up 3.9% November 19th, 2008 TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) — Ahold, the Amsterdam supermarket operator, reported third-quarter net income fell 8.9% on 3.9% higher sales. Profit was 195 million euros ($243.2 million) against 214 million in the year-earlier period. Profit from continuing operations fell 16% to 187 million euros. Sales reached 5.81 billion euros from 5.59 billion. At constant exchange rates, sales rose 7.6%. Ahold attributed the drop in net to hig

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Pakistan Have Conversation With Malaysia For Defence Relations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed on enhancing cooperation in military training and carrying out ventures in defence industry. This was decided in a high-level meeting held between the visiting Pakistani defence delegation headed by Lt Gen (rtd) Syed Athar Ali Shah, Defence Secretary Dato Abu Bakar Bin Haji Abdullah, Secretary General, Ministry of Defence Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, says a message by Malaysian High Commission issued here Thursday. During the meeting, both sides pledg

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Seven famous people who survived bankruptcy

(Mental Floss) — As the economy continues to look grim, the word “bankruptcy” is on the tips of more and more tongues. While being unable to pay one’s creditors is never a good situation for a company or an individual, it may not be the financial kiss of death that you might think. (Just ask Donald Trump, whose casinos have gone bankrupt twice. Abraham Lincoln was just one of several U.S. presidents who declared bankruptcy during their lifetimes. A number of successful people have found th

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